Very few have realized that the North East
India is the centre of the diverse food culture comprising fermented and
non-fermented ethnic foods and alcoholic beverages. More than 250
different types of familiar and less-familiar ethnic fermented foods and
alcoholic beverages are prepared and consumed by the different ethnic people of
North East India, which include milk, vegetable, bamboo, soybean, meat, fish,
cereal and alcoholic beverages. Diverse microorganisms ranging from filamentous
fungi to enzyme and alcohol producing yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, bacilli and
microccoci are associated with fermentation and production of ethnic foods and
alcoholic drinks. Ethnic foods are fermented naturally, except the alcoholic
beverages which are produced by using consortia of microorganisms in the form
of dry, cereal-based starter. Diversity within the species of lactic acid
bacteria and bacilli has created the ethnic foods with different sensory
characteristics. It has demonstrated that functional microorganisms present in
the ethnic fermented foods of North East have many biological functions
enhancing the health-promoting benefits, bio-preservation of perishable foods,
bio-enrichment of nutritional value, protective properties and therapeutic values.